


I'm Still Into You

by DreamingofStardust



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Crushes, Denial of Feelings, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Pre-Series, Sister-Sister Relationship, Unresolved Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-27 04:22:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13240332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamingofStardust/pseuds/DreamingofStardust
Summary: Molly finds out Gert may not think all men are the worst.





	I'm Still Into You

If Gert Yorkes was certain of anything in this world, it was that guys were unequivocally and undeniably the worst.

From their oppression of women since the dawn of humanity to their vain ideals of the world bending around them to fit their needs, men were festering weeds that needed to be pulled out stem to root. The world would certainly be a much better place if men weren't in it.

Still, that didn't stop the barreling of her heart every time Chase Stein so much as looked her way.

It was lunchtime at Atlas Academy, and the campus' sunny quad was filled with the sounds of chatter and chewing. Gert was sitting at her usual table near the outskirts of the open space, pushing around the contents of her lemon-vinaigrette-dressed kale salad with her fork instead of eating it. Molly sat beside her, the only person who actually ever seemed to want to sit with her, talking animatedly with a huge smile on her face and large movements of her arms, but Gert had stopped listening.

Her eyes were glued to where Chase was sitting with a bunch of his lacrosse friends far across the quad. There was an easy smile on his face, and he had on a well-fitted, navy-blue t-shirt that helped show off his large biceps every time he moved his arms to get a bite of his burger. Gert's heart titillated with cautious beats like the slow, nerve-wracking ascent up a rollercoaster as she tightened her tingling fingers around her fork.

It's not like she liked him _that_ way. He was just a dumb jock who happened to be an old childhood friend because their parents were friends.

So what if they spent countless happy hours playing "Knights and Dragons" together when they were six? Or if he stayed by her bedside the whole time she was in the hospital when her tonsils were removed at age nine? Or if he held her hand the entire time when the gang snuck into a scary movie at age eleven, because she didn't want to admit she was too scared to leave?

So what if he had been her first kiss the night of her thirteenth birthday, tasting sweeter than cake frosting and making her head spin faster than a carousel?

Gert bit her bottom lip as a heaviness filled her chest.

But that was in the past. Before Amy died and their semi-perfect little world was shattered forever. Before they each flocked into their own exclusive niches, and while she got more into social justice, Chase got more into sexting with Eiffel. 

"Uh, Gert? Earth to Gert?!"

Gert blinked and flinched back as Molly waved her hand only a few inches from Gert's face. "Huh? What? Oh, yeah, totally," she murmured, averting her gaze down to her kale salad. 

Molly let out a loud sigh. "You weren't paying attention at all, were you?" 

"O-of course, I was!" Gert stammered, shifting the leaves of her kale salad around with her fork. "You were . . . uh, talking about . . ."

Sweat pricked the back of her neck as Molly shot her with that dead-eye look that she knew Gert was just mumbling BS, but she still allowed her to ramble on.

"That thing you were so excited about, um . . ."

"Dance?" Molly offered.

"Yeah!" Gert shouted, sitting up quickly. "Dance! You were talking about, um, how excited you were about learning some, um--" 

"A new hip-hop--"

"A new hip-hop dance move!" Gert quickly finished for her. "See! I told you I was paying attention." She beamed, triumphantly stabbing a huge piece of kale and stuffing it in her mouth. 

"Yeah, half-paying attention," Molly muttered. "Too busy making googly-eyes at Chase." 

Gert's heart stopped as her kale salad turned to ashes in her throat. She tried to continue swallowing, but the kale was lodged stuck in her tight throat. Tears stung in Gert's eyes as she erupted into a coughing fit, hacking up bits of kale onto her tray while she shakily reached for her bottle of apple juice. She downed a quick sip that relieved the burning in her throat, but not the heat rushing to her face and ears. 

"Chase? _Chase Stein?_ What?" Gert questioned, cringing at how high-pitched and squeaky her voice had gotten. She cleared her throat. "Why would I be making _eyes_ at Chase Stein? He-he's just some dumb jock too fascinated with ball-and-stick games, building up testosterone, and-and--"

"Ohmygod! You so like him!" Molly shrilled with a huge grin.

Gert's face was absolutely scorching. "Shut up! I do not!" She hissed while aggressively stabbing at her salad. 

There was a twinkle in Molly's eyes as she smirked and sat back. "Well, that's too bad, because he's looking this way."

"What?"

Gert's heart leaped into her throat as she whipped her head towards Chase. There was a big smile on his face, and her stomach fluttered as if she ate too much candy, but he wasn't smiling at her. Chase was in a conversation with Lucas, and he was laughing at some joke or another the other boy must have said.

Her eyes narrowed as she turned back towards Molly who was nonchalantly sipping her carton of milk, but a devilish grin kept twitching at the corners of her mouth. 

Gert rolled her eyes. "I don't like Chase."

Molly set her milk down with a refreshing sigh. "Sure," she said, wiggling her eyebrows. 

"I don't!" Gert insisted, blood pounding in her ears. "He-he's always such a smartass who has stupid, floofy hair and a ridiculous pearly-white smile and-and-and--" Her eyes darted over towards Chase and all the fire flowing through her veins cooled, cracking fissures throughout her heart. "And kind hazel eyes and a nice laugh and warm, gentle hands and really well-cut muscles and a pretty cute butt and--"

Molly snorted then quickly bursted into laughter, holding onto her sides as she nearly fell off her seat. Each laugh grated on Gert's ears as she sunk down into her seat and whished she could just disappear somewhere right now already.

The monotone buzz of the school bell cut Molly's laughter short as it rang out across the quad. Gert breathed out a sigh. She was never more thankful in her life until this moment. Sitting up, Gert gathered up the remains of her lunch like everyone else was doing and rose to her feet.

"Have fun making more eyes at Chase," Molly crooned as she dramatically fell back against her seat, holding her hands over her heart and batting her eyelashes.

Gert frowned, pushing up her glasses. "Shut up. It's not like that."

Molly sat up. "Could have fooled me." 

"Please, you're too young to even understand stuff like this." 

"Oh, I think I understand plenty," she smirked. 

Gert exhaled loudly through her nose as she grabbed her tray and hastily headed towards the cafeteria to return it. _Sisters are the worst,_ she fumed, narrowed eyes concentrated on the ground until she nearly collided with somebody tall and solid.

"Whoa!"

Warm hands caught her by the shoulders, holding her back before impact. Gert snapped her head up and her heart took a rollercoaster plunge, beating hard and fast in her chest.

"Chase!"

"Gert!"

It was like the rest of the world faded away except for them. Electricity sparked where Chase's hands held her, and he was so close the cool scent of his cologne was making her stomach do cartwheels. His wide eyes stared down at her, a million conflicted feelings dancing in his gaze, but there was still warmth in them like the eyes of the boy who made her birthday wish come true by kissing her beneath the twinkling night sky. 

"Yo, Chase!" Someone hollered.

And their moment was broken.

Chase blinked as he removed his hands and took a step back. He straightened up, plastering a cocky smirk on his face and just like that he was gone. "Chase the Popular Jock" was back. 

"Watch where you're going, Yorkes," he sneered, but the viciousness of his tone didn't reach his eyes as he continued to look at her.

His lacrosse friends boomed out chuckles and hoots as a hollow ache stabbed in her chest and heat pricked at the back of her eyes. Gert took a deep breath. _No, not in front of them. In front of_ him. 

"Yeah, well, stop taking up so much space next time, Jockstrap," she spat back then hastily brushed past him and continued on her way. Gert was able to make it up the stairs and return her tray before the first few hot tears slipped down her cheeks. 

Guys were the worst.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and Comments are appreciated! :)


End file.
